The grant will fuel a statewide partnership, led by Oregon State University, that aims to boost chip manufacturing, artificial intelligence research and the state’s semiconductor workforce.
Oregon’s semiconductor industry is receiving what could be a critical lifeline in its effort to grow and stabilize in the state.
A statewide initiative called the Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology, or FAST, has been awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines grant of up to $160 million over the next ten years.
Oregon’s FAST effort is one of 12 tech and innovation-based programs across the country that received the grants, which the NSF officially announced Tuesday morning.
The FAST initiative includes close to 100 partners, including state government entities, higher education institutions, workforce and economic development agencies, tech companies and community organizations.
Oregon State University is leading the statewide effort.
State leaders backing the project, which went through a competitive process that took four years, say the federal boost will help accelerate the state’s semiconductor ecosystem and place Oregon at the forefront of technology innovation.
“This announcement affirms what made the FAST proposal so compelling: investing in world-class talent, strengthening partnerships across higher education, and advancing industry research,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement.
These federal engine grants are an outgrowth of 2022’s CHIPS and Science Act. That law authorized close to $280 billion in spending to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing and other scientific research in the U.S.
Semiconductor chips are used in everyday electronic devices from personal phones and LED light bulbs to complex medical devices, industrial machines and electric vehicles.
Some of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers and researchers have a big presence in Oregon, like Intel, Lam Research, ASML and Nvidia. But in recent years Intel – one of the state’s largest private employers – has been shedding workers, laying off more than 3,000 employees last year.
The state’s manufacturing sector, which includes semiconductor jobs, has been shrinking overall. In the last year, Oregon has lost more than 8,000 manufacturing jobs.
“Oregon’s position as a semiconductor leader was built through decades of sustained innovation and partnership,” said Intel Chief Technology Officer Pushkar Ranade in a statement. Intel is among the project’s core partners.
“The next generation of breakthroughs will require continued investment across the full technology ecosystem—from research and workforce development to manufacturing,” Ranade said. “Oregon State University’s leadership in convening industry, academic, and government partners through FAST is helping strengthen that ecosystem and accelerate innovation at scale.”
Funding from the federal grant will go toward FAST’s three priority areas: semiconductor innovation research; strengthening relationships between tech entrepreneurs, investors and semiconductor companies; and streamlining career pathways and job training for the sector.
Although the state initiative is receiving the grant, the full $160 million is not a given. To continue to receive funding going forward, the projects need to prove that their industry-boosting ideas are improving their region’s economy and tech sectors.
All federal grantees, including the FAST project, are set to pocket $15 million in the first two years of the award. Projects that are able to demonstrate progress after that initial period are then eligible to receive up to the full grant amount in the upcoming years.
Kyra Buckley contributed to this story. This story may be updated.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.